Norikawa, a concept by the operator of the Norikase Japanese restaurant in Tinseltown and Beachside Seafood in Jacksonville Beach, is in permit review for the One Riverside development on the Downtown Northbank in Brooklyn.
The city is reviewing a permit for Norikawa to build-out a two-floor, 4,667-square-foot space at 1 Riverside Ave. at an initial estimated project cost of $800,000. That can change during permitting.
AEC Integrated of Jacksonville is providing private plan review. JAA Architecture of Jacksonville is the architect.
Two connected floors
Plans show indoor and outdoor bar and dining space on the first floor and a bar, lounge, outdoor dining, a DJ booth and an omakase counter on the second floor.
The floors are connected by an elevator, while there is a spiral staircase shown as there “for convenience only.”
In August 2025, the Daily Record reported that Pearl Hospitality Group signed a lease at the One Riverside mixed-use development to open another Japanese establishment in 2026.
The restaurant, Norikawa, will be on the riverfront with a patio along the Riverwalk, according to Justin Raulerson of Pearl Hospitality Group.
Raulerson said in August the restaurant will comprise 4,500 square feet of interior space with an additional 2,000 square feet of patio dining area.
He expected the construction budget at $1.5 million to $1.75 million.
“It will be a very similar concept, but still different. The menu will have a different ambiance. You may see some (Norikase) signature dishes,” Raulerson said.
Staffing plans
He said Norikawa will employ 30 to 40 staff members. Leadership and other positions may be filled by current Norikase staff.
Like Norikase, Norikawa will provide an omakase dining experience, in which the chef prepares a multicourse tasting menu without customer input. It is a chance for the kitchen to display its skill.
Raulerson said prices will be similar to Norikase’s. Individuals ordering off the a la carte menu can expect to pay $75 to $100 with beverages. The omakase experience will be about $175 to $250.
The Jacksonville-based group says on pearlhospitality.co/story that Pearl “is a strand of eight concepts across the First Coast.”
Raulerson called Norikawa an upscale modern restaurant. He expects the patio to be popular on temperate evenings.
“We’ll have a patio bar as well. So any visitors or patrons that are going to be visiting the Emerald Trail could also stop by and grab a cocktail.”
The city restored McCoys Creek adjacent to One Riverside to connect it to the Emerald Trail of pedestrian and bicycle paths in and around Downtown.
'Authentic Japanese cuisine'
The restaurant will be open during evening hours at the outset, Raulerson said.
“It is possible that we may be open for lunch as well, but we will start off with dinner only. But more than likely, yes, we will be open for lunch in the near future, but we want to make sure we go nice and slow, making sure that we have quality over quantity at first.”
The $250 million One Riverside project is under construction on the site of the demolished Florida Times-Union campus at 1 Riverside Ave.
The first phase includes 225 apartments. A Whole Foods Market opened in May.
The Florida Times-Union operated at the site from 1967 to 2019. The offices and production facility have been demolished on the 18.8-acre site.
Upon the lease deal, Colliers Associate Vice President Olivia Steinemann posted on LinkedIn that “Pearl Hospitality Group, part of the well-known Bento Group—which owns and operates nearly 50 restaurants throughout Jacksonville, Tampa, and Orlando, several of which have received Michelin awards—has signed a lease to bring its newest concept, Norikawa, to the waterfront at the One Riverside Development.”
She posted that Norikawa will serve “authentic Japanese cuisine, blending traditional flavors with modern techniques.”
“The menu will feature high-quality sushi, meticulously crafted with attention to detail, alongside a curated selection of cocktails crafted with unique ingredients, premium sake, and Japanese whisky.”
She said she worked with One Riverside apartment developer TriBridge Residential and the Pearl Hospitality team “to get this deal to the finish line.”
Steinemann along with Associate Vice President Sam Middlekauff and Senior Vice President Matthew Clark comprise the Colliers Urban Division, which represents One Riverside’s retail space.